News from Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission and the Canada/U.S. Niagara Falls Illumination Board
Niagara Falls, Ontario, November 2015 – In commemoration of the sacrifice and contributions made by veterans and current service personnel in both Canada and the United States, the Niagara Falls Illumination Board will
The Horseshoe and American Falls in Niagara Falls will be illuminated in red this November 11th in honour of Canadian and U.S. veterans
light Niagara Falls in red on the evening of November 11th , at the top of each hour for fifteen minutes, as a symbol of remembrance and honour to all who have served, and to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
“The Board felt there could be no better way to honour the contributions made by our soldiers, veterans and those who have fallen, than to illuminate the beauty of our shared natural wonder, Niagara, in red,” stated Niagara Falls Illumination Board Chair Mark Thomas. “It was through the sacrifice made by residents on both sides of the Niagara River that we have been able to enjoy the benefits of peace, democracy and friendship that we celebrate today and for that, we thank them all.”
According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, in November 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…”
In a passage taken from Heather Robertson’s, A Terrible Beauty, The Art of Canada at War, Veterans Affairs Canada shares the reasons why Remembrance Day is so important. According to Ms. Robertson, “We must remember. If we do not, the sacrifice of those one hundred thousand Canadian lives will be meaningless. They died for us, for their homes and families and friends, for a collection of traditions they cherished and a future they believed in; they died for Canada. The meaning of their sacrifice rests with our collective national consciousness; our future is their monument.”
Established in 1925, The Niagara Falls Illumination Board is made up of representatives from the City of Niagara Falls Ontario, the City of Niagara Falls, New York, Ontario Power Generation Inc., The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and The Niagara Parks Commission. It is the Illumination Board’s responsibility and mandate to finance and maintain the nightly illumination of both the Horseshoe and American Falls.
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